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User blog:BattleGames1/BattleGames1's Season of War Episode 3 - Zande vs Celt
Before I begin I would like to say this coming week (and yes I am sorry if I haven't done sims for the previous two battles but I'll tell you why) I will try my best to devote all my resources and time to writing the Sherlock vs Hannibal battle (as well as watching the series closely so I get the feel for the series - I still maintain my view that some atmosphere of Sherlock should be present too though) and then in the final days of my holidays until Semester 2 of uni begins I will try to get sim #1 done. I hope you understand where I am coming from. Last time on the Season of War, two of the greatest military tacticians of old led their troops into a ferocious battle to determine who is the more strategic warlord; and despite his legendary status as a great military tactician, Sun Tzu's losing streak continues as he falls to William the Conqueror. Today, we bring two tribal warriors who have survived the odds of the ancient world out into the sunlight. The Zande, bloodthirsty skirmish warriors from the heart of Africa... vs The Celts, the Iron Age terror from the British Isles that drove enemy invaders out from the homeland... WHO... IS... DEADLIEST? =Let's Meet The Combatants= Zande Warrior The Zande people are a tribe of Ethiopia, mostly in present day Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The word Azande literally means "the people who possess much land", a reference to their history as conquering warriors. They were renowned for their military prowess, using deadly Iron Age weapons and psychological warfare to great effect on raids to gain new resources.﻿ For psychological warfare, the Zande sharpened their teeth to appear to be cannibals to the enemy. The Zande were against slave trade and are known for their efforts against slave traders. They still exist today, still using the ancient weapons of their ancient tribes. Celt The ethnic term 'Celt' is used to describe the different societies present throughout Europe in the late Roman to early Medieval era - two groups exist: the Continental Celts who reside on the main continent, and the Insular Celts from the British Isles. The warfare style of the two Celtic groups are similar in scope. Tribal warfare was a regular feature of Celtic societies, with tribes using warfare as a means of exerting political control, harassing rivals, for economic advantage, and, in some instances, to conquer territory. The majority of Celtic warriors were usually levies, though Celtic levies often proved to be worthy adversaries despite their lack of training or discipline. The Celts fought with a wide variety of weapons, includings swords, daggers, spears, slings, javelins, axes, bows even their shield was used for stricking in a two front attack. They fought using infantry, cavalry, chariotry, and on occasions even used a navy. The prefered weapons and armor varied from tribe to tribe, some prefered using spears while others were master swordsmen. The armor of a Celtic tribe also varied greatly, some fought with leather armor, others using their signature armor, chainmail, others used plate armor and some were even known to fight naked. For the purposes of this battle, the Celt for this battle will be similar to that used in the actual show (with leather body armour as opposed to chainmail) but he will have a shield present to use. =Now, Let's Inspect the Weapons= Short Range Makraka The Makraka had a sickle-shaped blade that widens near the tip, with the cutting edge on the concave side of the blade. The handle is wooden covered in hide to increase the grip. Normally, it was often used in executions but it could also serve as a secondary weapon in combat. Longsword A Celtic sword is approximately 30 inches in length with a 23 inch blade which is double edged and features a blood groove, the blood grove allows for more flexibility while maintaining its strength. The long sword is most commonly known for it’s anthropomorphic hilt, this is often made of an organic material such as horn, bone or even wood. In front of the guard was often found an iron plate shaped to match the mouth of the scabbard. The scabbard was suspended from a belt made of iron links. BG1's Edge So it's curved blade vs straight blade in this comparison and as much as I admire the makraka for its very lethal slashing moves, the edge here goes to the Celtic Longsword because it is the true kind of sword that can slash and stab with effective results. Medium Range Makrigga The Makrigga was a multi-barbed 7 foot spear. It had an iron spearhead with a rounded tip and a narrow blade. The spearhead has numerous barbs on the iron head and shank. The wooden shaft was typically carved from a tree branch. A cylindrical sheath made from a section of an animal's tail fit over the joint between the shaft and head. The backward pointing barbs made it much easier for the blade to enter the body than it was to withdraw. It frequently tore out the victims guts when removed, as shown in the battle. Lancea The Lancea is a 9-foot ash pole mounted with a 14-inch spearhead. The spearhead had a wavy pattern, which reduced friction and allowed it to penetrate more deeply into the body, and to cause more trauma when it hit. It was used both as a thrusting weapon and as a throwing spear. Its great size and serrated head made it highly effective in battle, capable of piercing light armor that the Celts commonly saw on the battlefield. The weapon was also able to be used as a javelin. BG1's Edge For me, I call this Even simply because both spears are deadly in their own right and while the Lancea is versatile as both a spear and a javelin, most people will find fault in using it as a javelin. Long Range Botto and Pima The Botto and Pima is the Zande equivalent of a bow and arrow. The Botto bow is made from polished wood with a length of twisted sinex for a bowstring. It was about 4 feet long. The Pima arrows were 2 feet long and made from cane shafts with iron heads. The arrows were tipped with Benge, a red powder made from a type of forest creeper. The Benge contains strychnine, which is commonly used as a pesticide. Sling The Sling is an ancient projectile weapon used to hurl stones or weights long distances. The sling was a low-status weapon, cheap and easy to make. It was commonly used for hunting, fending off wild animals, and warfare. It is simply two cords (in this case, braided wool) attached to a small pouch. One of the cords ends in a loop which fits over the finger, while the other ends in a knot which is held. The projectiles used were most commonly stones, or sometimes lead weights. The projectile is placed into the pouch and the user swings it around several times. The cords are released and the projectile is launched forward. Because of its simplicity, the sling was one of the most commonly used weapons in the ancient world. BG1's Edge In a case of bow and arrow vs sling comparison, its always the bow that wins out and while the Zande were not proficient bowmen at least the Botto and Pima has greater accuracy and killing power over the sling. Special Kpinga The Kpinga was a multi-bladed throwing knife of Central Africa. It had three projecting blades projecting at different angles in order maximise damage to the enemy and a small, plant fiber handle. Commonly, the Kpinga was 22 inches in length and 3.5 pounds. Like its distant cousin, the shuriken, it could be thrown overhead at an opponent, or sideways to take out an opponent's legs. Even the handle could do a lot of damage if it hit. Kpinga were carried into battle in a very specific way; inside large, oblong Zande shields. The back of these shields feature a central iron disc over which, traditionally, four kpinga were hung. When the Azande went into battle, they would close on the enemy to wiithin about ten metres. The warrior threw two to four spears before releasing his kpinga. It is said that if a high-thrown knife caught on a shield it might cut through it or rebound into other warriors nearby. Burda Club The Burda Club is a wooden club with iron bands. The Burda Club is wedge-shaped, widening near the tip, with an oval cross-section. Two feet long and weighing around six pounds, it was constructed from ash, which was then fire-hardened and sealed in beeswax. It often had iron bands around the tip to increase its lethality. The iron-banded end of the club would have easily crushed skulls with a single hit. BG1's Edge Different weapons, different uses but I suppose that the Kpinga can also be used in melee as well as ranged combat. I must actually call it Even here since I am unsure about the capabilities of the Kpinga as a melee weapon but I think that it can get through the Celtic wooden shield and leather armour. Shields Wicker Kube Shield The kube is a large, oblong wicker shield. The back of the kube had a central iron disk on which three or four kpinga were hung. The Kube is large enough to cover most of the warrior's body, but was too light to offer substantial protection. As it is flexible, the kube could absorb some of the energy of light projectiles - it has been said that "the shield was made of so light a substance will not repel a lance but when struck by one, the combatant giving a slight movement either to the right or left counteracts the penetration of the lance." The shield is measured at 1116 mm long, 563 mm wide and 17.6 mm thick at its edge. Wooden Shield Like the Romans, and most ancient warriors, the Celts used shields in battle. These were usually oval but they could be rectangular, circular, or hexagonal. On the front was a boss - a metal cup to protect the hand behind, which was holding the handle. The shields were made of wood (often oak) and stood about 1.1m high. They were about 1.2cm thick in the centre, and overall weighed about 6kg. They were covered with leather (or felt), as bare wood would splinter when struck with a weapon. The shields were usually decorated with various designs, which can be seen on stone carvings and other pictures. BG1's Edge As much as I admire the Zande's attempt at making a shield out of plant material, I will have to give this to the Celtic Wooden Shield for being that bit stronger, especially considering the iron boss in the middle of it. =X-Factors= Table Explanations *Training: The training regimes of both the Zande and Celt are somewhat similar in that within their tribes they would often learn from each other for a majority of their life, but what makes the Celts stand out in this X-Factor is that the Celts were more professional in their style owing to a more rigid tribal class system. Also to take into account is that the Celts were often hired by other more 'civilised' nations (e.g. Carthage) as mercenaries and thus were perhaps trained as such. *Experience: I had to call this even because the Celts as a warrior tribe fought more fiercely, not only with each other and with neighboring barbarian tribes but with the Romans as well (inevitably falling under Roman control during the late 1st Century BCE); the Zande meanwhile did not fight any large army (they did, like the Celts, fight neighbouring tribes) as such but as a tribe they survived for relatively much longer than the ancient Celts - until (or even past) the 1800s to be exact. *Tactics: I'm not sure what to make of this considering that as tribal warrior their main strategy was to just charge headlong into the enemy lines hoping that their aggression will be unnerving and thus warranting of a retreat. Psychological warfare in conjunction with tactics is where it will really matter but otherwise the two are even. *Psychological Warfare: Thinking about it, the two are relatively close in this category than you might think. While both tribes were respectable during peacetime, their attitudes during battle were very aggressive and unrefined to say the least, and similar too. The Celts weren't deemed as barbarians for nothing and their rather suicidal but brave infantry charge was something the Romans actually feared and admired. What makes the Zande here take the edge though is that the Zande were not only perceived to be barbaric but also cannibalistic. Sharpened teeth, cut-out corpses, unnerving battle cries... anyone who dared cross the path of the Zande would be quivering in their boots =Now Onto the Battle= Battle No battle will be written unforturnately Winner: Celt Expert's Opinion While the Zande as a warrior tribe lasted far longer than the Celtic warriors, they lacked the weaponry, defenses and experience to fend off against a foe that fought tougher opponents (namely the Romans among others) and possessed a far greater military prowess about them. If you think this battle is unfair in any way, shape or form, you can go ahead and do a rematch. Notes *Battleground terrain: North Africa - mixture of desert and bushland which both and neither warriors might be familiar with. *Celts will be clad in leather armour (like the one seen on the show) and no chariots, navy or cavalrymen will be present. Category:Blog posts